Underlight Discord Chat: http://discord.underlight.com/
Production Server: Online (Version 3.1.15)
Player Test Realm Server: Offline (Version 3.1.15)

SoulMasters in Focus

Lore, history and other content by the citizens of Underlight preserved for posterity.
Locked
User avatar
PKChrisChan
Keepers of the Eternal Shadow
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:23 pm
Character Name(s): Nathan
Contact:

SoulMasters in Focus

Post by PKChrisChan »

SoulMasters in Focus

Image

This scroll is to be dedicated to the stories of our city's diversive collection of SoulMasters. Somewhere to share their dreaming or shardic experiences.
User avatar
PKChrisChan
Keepers of the Eternal Shadow
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:23 pm
Character Name(s): Nathan
Contact:

SoulMasters in Focus - Entry #1

Post by PKChrisChan »

Zh’ierco’s anarchic army is indeed swelling for an offensive as we had feared. Every week their insidious leader recruits hundreds of unsmiling youths into his horde of absolute anarchy, each of whom must undergo some sort of indoctrinating torture which I have yet to infiltrate deeply enough to witness directly. I am convinced, however, that whatever dark practices they undergo pale in comparison to the unspeakable horrors Zh’ierco himself has done for his radical affluence; he keeps his face concealed at all times to hide the fact that mentally he long ago ceased to be anything close to human.

Those torturous practices must be the key to their undoing, so it is vital that we learn more about their ways. I am not the first to attempt to infiltrate into the inner workings of the anarchy, and I doubt that I will return alive. If there is any hope is that I live to share the tale, too, this book finds its way into favorable hands. Anyone suspected of being a spy was put down in the Arena for public sacrifice. I was forced to watch along with the other prospects, crowded together on the coliseum platform at the edge of the Arena. As the cloaked figures around me jostled towards the edge for the best view of the naked victims huddled below, I retreated to the center of the platform to rest my back against the steel crossbars, gazing up at the dark roiling clouds above and praying for rain. Zh’ierco emerged onto a platform high above us, and as the crowd began to roar with approval I shut my eyes tight against the swell of emotion.

Moments later, I was already in motion, pitched forward violently into the center arena as I dully registered the forceful blow slamming into the back of my head, temporarily losing consciousness. When I woke, I was barely aware of more countless others around me, ten, maybe twenty….. or how many more I cannot say who also cast into the pit…. My ears rang from the blow and from the screams of terror from those all around me. I was tossed into the arena in some destructive predetermined proof of loyalty. Zh’ierco rose and in an authorative tempest, bellowed, “….Kill them all leave NO survivors! If you happen to survive, you’ll have sworn fealty to our cause!” He laughed a wicked, empty, lifeless laugh.

…then the violence commenced.

Through the chaos of steel grinding on steel, flailing, bloodied bodies and screaming voices, one thought rang clear: I just had to survive. The platform was already above the Arena floor and overall unreachable. Some had relished at moment to prove the extent of their abilities, grinning and killing with unbridled glee. I watched with horror, as death fell upon some young, unknowing helpless victims who were rent limb from limb.

As the chaos came to a close, the gates rose and a number of us made a run for the hills. We ran to our homes and villages, and the rest of the anarchy had taken pursuit to us. I had recognized a number of individuals all running in the same direction. During my attempt to escape, and much much too late to my disdain, I had too late realized that this was a trap. They followed us to find our homes and bring destruction upon them. However, those who fell behind were killed on the spot. We ran for the city gates like craven dogs. I was the last one in. I watched in horror, as we closed the gates on the stragglers. Their fates were sealed, but at least most of them had the satisfaction of a quick and painless death.

Those of us inside were not so lucky.

Haleshire the oldest of the great cities, formed by settlers weary of the barbarity that ruled the land and we were blessed with civilization. Since the enemy of man was other men, our ancestors chose a place that was defensible to the north, in hopes that the mountainside to our north would thwart our enemies. History proved these defenses were still strong, when we used magic to make the canyon walls collapse on our Aspen enemies. Hundreds died.

Now that we faced a threat from the south, though, this advantage was turned against us. The other great cities had heard of our plight, and sent aid. Even our mistrustful brothers of Aspen sent whatever aid they could. But the anarchy’s sheer numbers were so great that they had the city of Haleshire surrounded, and were quick to move a contingent north, where they defended the border of the mountainside by hurling rocks and raining fire and arrows from the canyon walls.

Meanwhile, in the city walls, we found ourselves on the losing end of the waiting game. Once the anarchy had forced our armies into the city walls, they blockaded the gates, and seemed quite willing to sit outside until the time was proper. Inside, we had nothing better to do, but to tend the wounded, weep, pray, and die. Mostly, we died. Water was the first thing to go. Haleshire was not built near a river - it gets its water from deep wells fed from mountain streams. They found those streams, and poisoned them with rotting flesh. We found out when our children died. We were sick, tired, grieving, and one shade away from death. Several times, we spoke of surrender, and we would have, too, if we weren't so absolutely certain that they would have killed us all.

-Nathan
User avatar
PKChrisChan
Keepers of the Eternal Shadow
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:23 pm
Character Name(s): Nathan
Contact:

SoulMasters in Focus - Entry #2

Post by PKChrisChan »

The History of the Sanctuary of Dona Cleoperra as retold by Cianne

Dona Cleoperra was a great SoulMaster of days long past. She was of fair hair and skin, with eyes of deep emerald green. She was well respected, admired and sought after in the city for her healing powers, her only goal in the city was to heal and to rebuild, she possessed no offensive arts. Some say she also had the power to read minds as she often times showed up just when dreamers were under attack by dark mares or other enemies, and she always gave her all to heal, rebuild, and receive their dented shields, though sometimes she would thoroughly exhaust herself in doing so. People often offered her gifts of gratitude or riches to thank her for saving their lives, but she would never accept anything, she just smiled, wished them safe paths, and went on her way.

One stormy evening as she was strolling through Trinity walk, she heard terrible screams coming from a nearby room, she dashed inside to see her lover Dartanian being horribly mauled by a dreaded Dark Mare. She collected her thoughts and cast all her restorative powers onto Dartanian and after a bloody battle, the Mare was finally defeated. Dona, very near death from exhaustion, gathered her strength and crawled to where her lover lay dying from the Mares final blow. Tears streamed down her face as she cradled his head in her hands..she whispered to him.."do not fear my love..all will be well", and kissed him softly on the lips. She looked up to the heavens, closed her eyes, and with her final ounce of strength, she evoked Reweave, speaking.."What I have been blessed with now give unto him." The air around her started to swirl and turn prismatic in bright colors, Dartanian regained his strength, sat up and watched in awe and amazement. Dona was transformed into a billion tiny Emerald crystals, they swirled and shot upwards into the heavens. Dartanian looked upward and smiled..and thanked his love for his life as he wept and he dedicated the room to her honor and deemed it a place of safe respite, The Sanctuary of Dona Cleoperra.

-Cianne
SoulMaster, Teacher and follower of the Shadow

Tune in next time for Cianne's recollection of when she MET Dona Cleoperra.
User avatar
Dakkoth
Keepers of the Eternal Shadow
Posts: 177
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 8:20 pm

The Famously Fabled Duke of Shadowlight

Post by Dakkoth »

“The Famously Fabled Duke of Shadowlight”
By Dakkoth

“The Ark of Duke” is that of the Great Alexander, Duke of Shadowlight. Alexander was a SoulMaster and teacher of ancient fabled times. At an early age, Alexander achieved awakening. The strength of his soulsphere was remarkable even then as it weathered the storms of Chaos. His rather innate ability to shield off the Chaos earned him the respect of the other wayfarers who regarded him as the “Great Alexander”.

In his later years, Alexander would become famous for the creation of his Ark which he used to sail the seas of Chaos in search of banished, tormented, and lost souls. Alexander made it his mission to save the souls of the lost and forgotten; those who had perished or died. He honored them in the Shadowlight, a rather eerie peaceful blanket of Light and Shadow amidst the sea of Chaos, creating a memorial and shrine for each so their souls lived on for eternity.

One dream, Alexander came upon the soul of a one, Emma, who was in distress amidst the Chaos clutching to her last DreamSoul. He rescued her. She then boarded his Ark. Alexander fell in love with Emma instantly. Inspired by his feat in saving her soul, Alexander set off with Emma both sailing the sea of Chaos aboard the Ark in search for more potential troubled souls.

One dream deep in the twisting nether, the tides of Chaos were overbearing. The Ark began to crack under the forces of Chaos. As Alexander was tending to and repairing a large rift in the center of the Ark, the side railing Emma was grasping hold of broke free. She was cast into the twisting nether of Chaos. Alexander could do nothing to save her. The Ark spun out of control. It was spit out of the spiraling Chaos and crashed into the Shadowlight.

Alexander never saw Emma again. Filled with grief over the loss of his beloved, Alexander died in his sleep mid dream. The toll of his infinite sadness decimated his body on Cloudsbreak. Yet the empty glum drab gray hue of his soulsphere remains atop the staircase flowing with the tears of his grief.

The story of the Great Alexander would have been lost to antiquity had it not been for the cataclysmic Clash of Dreams. Discovered by the dreamers of and on LyraClesia, the portal to the Ark and respectively to Shadowlight are hidden in the Provenance. In honor of the Great Alexander in preserving the souls of the dead, his legacy lives on as the “Duke of Shadowlight”.

~D
User avatar
Coraal
Dreamer
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:50 pm
Character Name(s): Coraal

SoulMasters in Focus

Post by Coraal »

“There is no greater challenge than acceptance, for it is from acceptance that we learn to adapt. We endure the fury of the storm, bending and bowing, yet never breaking. And from the ruins of change we rise, building anew something greater from the wreckage left behind. This is the essence of resilience.”

The challenges of the Dream are many and varied, and often do we walk treacherous and meandering paths that test our capacities to the greatest possible extent, only to find greater obstacles to overcome behind the next bend in the road. Unseen, yet awaiting us all the same. There is no greater truth in this than that for the SoulMaster.

GateKeepers meet their challenges directly, using their strength of will to encounter and conquer whatever blocks their way, barreling through to the goal beyond. The FateSenders dance along their path in a blaze of burning spontaneity, drawing encouragement through a combination of laughter and flexible perceptions to leap their hurdles gracefully. For the DreamSeers, the undeniable capacity of their insight permits them to keenly discern the nature of the problem they face and strategize the best possible solution to success. But SoulMasters? SoulMasters adapt.

Ours is the place of opposites. Do we heal or do we harm? Do we act or do we stand idle? These are the questions we face in each and every dream and the answers we provide have the capacity to shape the direction of the dream that is to come. For ours is the focus that truly has the burden of choice. A responsibility not to be taken lightly.

The capacity to recognize and manipulate the essence of the Dream, to restore or to poison, means that we are also constantly at war within ourselves. We walk the razors edge between positive and negative, striving always to seek that inner balance between our capacity for creation and destruction. It is a cumbersome and difficult road to walk. Never forget that even the most talented healer also possess the capacity to do great harm.

The key for any SoulMaster is the ability to adapt. In elder dreams our focus was associated closely with the element of water and many dreamers continue to use this association to guide them as they progress in their dreams even now. And much like water, we must be capable of adapting to those situations and challenges we face. Water can flow and twist, slowly but inexorably carving a path forward, but can also remain still and calm to await the time when it must flow once again. And so too are the SoulMasters.

Planes may appear and vanish, Houses may rise and fall, dreamers may dream and fade, and still do the SoulMasters continue to flow throughout the Dream; heirs to a long legacy of change and adaptation, destruction and renewal. We are the manifestation of the balance between yin and yang, the positive and the negative.

It is your choice how you flow within that balance, and your acceptance of what those choices bring. Yield but do not surrender, grow the Dream into something better than what you have been given. Strive always to remember your burden and responsibility.

You are a SoulMaster, and this is your dream.
~¢~
No one saves us but ourselves.
No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path.
Buddha
User avatar
Cianne
Dreamer
Posts: 565
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:08 pm

Soulmasters in Focus

Post by Cianne »

I am Cianne Andrea McCleoud, born to Angus & Lillian McCleoud. At last check, I was 124 years old, how and why this is possible and how I hold my somewhat youthful appearance is a story for another day. I hail from a village called Dunlain, a magical land of immense beauty, the flora and fauna captivate, the eastern shore is mesmerising and to the northwest, the raw beauty of a snowy mountain range...


In my village and surrounding areas, I am a midwife, Those formally trained in medicine are few and far between. I have never married, and so am able to travel for days on end when I am needed. Many times, I will stay with an expectant mother in her last weeks, and do not return until after the child is born and it is certain that the new mother is able to care for it on her own...

As you may have guessed, this can be a very lonely existence..although nothing quite compares to helping to bring new life into the world, I must admit I do often find myself pining...to be like the families that I serve...which is how I imagine I came to my dreams here..

My longing for companionship and family must have simply over taken me..and to my delight, some 19 or 20 years ago, I joined you all in this city of dreams. Here, I found that companionship, family, a sense of belonging, have achieved wonderous things, surreal things, but have also suffered heart ache and loss...though I would not trade it for the world.

I have been a pacifist most of my dreams, having been a long time member and guardian of the Alliance of the Eclipse. I still mostly practice pacifism to this day, though there have been times recently where I have used offensive arts in the defense of loved ones.
Currently I am an initiate in the Monastery of the Shadow, having been one of the Founders of this new iteration of the Umbric house.

As we of the City enter this new era of Darkness, I have faith that we will prevail, as we have in the past, if we all work together.

My passions are Teaching, Writing, Painting and my Family.

This piece of me..I bequeath to you, so that you may know who I am...why I love, why I laugh, why I cry, and why I dream.....
~Practice patience and silent reflection in a moment of anger ~ It will save you infinite moments of regret~
Locked